Best Milkshakes In Tampa Bay

October 8, 2013 8:00 AM

(Photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images)

Nothing beats a scoop of your favorite ice cream, except maybe a milkshake made with your favorite ice cream. You don’t have to settle for boring fast-food shakes of only one or two flavors when you have so many wonderful places to choose from. Whether you are into low-fat frozen yogurt, hazelnut gelato or bizarre flavors like chicken ‘n’ waffles, there’s a shake for you in Tampa Bay.

Tanya and Matt serve up some of the best fresh-made ice cream around, and that includes milkshakes. Any of the ice cream flavors – such as Coca Cola sorbet, pecan caramel praline low-fat frozen yogurt, coconut ginger ice cream or coffee liqueur crunch ice cream – can easily be made into a frozen treat. Additionally, Tanya and Matt have their own special recipes for milkshakes, such as the banana split milkshake. This drinkable sundae is concocted with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream and blended with fresh strawberries, pineapple and hot fudge, then topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

If you blink while you’re driving by, you might miss this little gem. This small café has served the Lutz area since 2010 with authentic Italian breads, pastries and gelato, a frozen Italian dessert very similar to ice cream. This thick, smoothy, incredibly creamy stuff is made fresh in-house and comes in a variety of rotating flavors, such as hazelnut, banana, strawberry and chocolate chip. Add a little milk to your favorite flavor, blend it up and you’ve got a delicious gelato milkshake.

This confectionery serves not only ice cream, but cupcakes, pastries, artisan coffees and teas and more, all freshly made in the parlor with only the freshest local ingredients and no preservatives. There are plenty of unique flavors to choose from, such as mango pistachio, fresh raspberry and green apple cinnamon. Can’t decide on just one flavor? No problem, you can get two or three combined. Try a milkshake made of green apple cinnamon and very vanilla for a taste reminiscent of apple pie.

Ice cream lovers may just find paradise inside the doors of Larry’s shop. Larry’s offers 20 flavors of frozen yogurt, 20 flavors of soft-serve frozen custard, 30 flavors of Italian gelato and over 80 flavors of ice cream, including no-sugar-added ice cream. Larry’s offers both shakes and malts – a kind of milkshake that is made with malted milk powder and gives the resulting drink a creamier texture and sweeter flavor. Any of Larry’s flavors can be turned into a milkshake or malt, such as key lime pie, coconut cream or peanut butter supreme.

This place is not for purists. It’s a an ice cream adventure for open minds and adventurous taste buds. Nothing is off limits here. You can get a shake made out of any of the very unique, and perhaps a little strange, flavors such as chicken ‘n’ waffles, which is made with real fried chicken skin. Some flavors are rotated in and out, but there are 13 regular flavors that are available all the time, such as chocolate habanero, blueberry muffin and “Porky’s Delight,” made with real bacon crumbles.

Amanda Mole has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove. She believes that food provides more than just vital nutrients: it is an irreplaceable part of countless cultural and social activities. As a Tampa Bay resident for the past 21 years, she is well acquainted with the incredibly diverse range of restaurants, bars, and food festivals that the area has to offer. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.